Kingdom Hearts: Creeping Death
by Kutlessrocker
Summary: Four years after Shadow of the Slenderman, Kairi, Namine, and Riku are trying to pick up the pieces of their lives.  Something else has other plans for them, though.  KairixOC, RikuxNamine.  M for gore, violence, and horror throughout.
1. A Death in the Family

Author's Note: Hello, here's my latest story idea, Creeping Death. It is the sequel to Shadow of the Slenderman. I've played with the idea of doing one of these for quite a while now. Until now, however, I didn't have any idea what to do. Now, I have an idea for a story that could possibly continue as long as Shadow of the Slenderman did. I will try to make this twice as scary as the last.

This story switches PoV's every now and then. The PoV's are Kairi, Namine, and the occasional third-person PoV. I will indicate who is speaking before each switch. Enjoy, friends...

* * *

><p><em><strong>Kairi's PoV:<strong>_

It had been four years to the date since we destroyed Slenderman for good. My heart was glad the threat was gone forever, but that victory came with a heavy price. I'd lost my cousin Larxene, some of my best friends, my parents, and even my boyfriend, Sora. It was the single most heartbreaking thing I'd ever gone through. I watched helplessly as the demon snapped his neck. I didn't even get to give Sora a proper burial because Slenderman dropped his body into the pits of Hell. The only comfort I had was in knowing that Sora's soul wasn't there. Somehow, I knew Sora went Heaven or whatever afterlife there was.

I had picked up the shambles of my life. Riku helped me out. His family was very wealthy and he was left with his family's fortune after Slenderman killed his parents. He still continued his college education and worked his part-time job even though he didn't need to. He and Namine had just gotten married last June. I was Namine's maid of honor. She was my best friend and one of the only ones I had left. She and I graduated high school after the Slenderman incident and went to college. I constantly tried to block out the painful memories of that monster. He took away everything that was precious to me. He took away my love.

I tried to move on after Sora's death. I had been dating a guy I met in college for the past two years. His name was John. He treated me right, just like Sora. Even though I still thought of Sora, I did love John. I knew Sora was never coming back, so I concentrated all my love to the people I still had in my life.

I was going to meet John to spend the day with him. I had no idea what he had planned, though. He just said he'd pick me up at my apartment. It was my day off work and I hadn't gotten the chance to be with John all week.

I waited on the front steps as John pulled up to the curb. I stood up and walked to his car. He leaned over and opened my door for me. He didn't have to, but he was always doing sweet things like that for me. He was so good to me. "Thank you," I said.

"Don't mention it Kai," he replied as he pulled back onto the road. He drove with his left hand and held my hand the whole way. "Something on you mind?" he asked.

I didn't even realize my inner sadness was showing on the outside. "Oh, it's nothing," I said, hoping he'd drop the subject.

"It's the anniversary, isn't it?" he said. I nodded. "Kai I'm so sorry about what happened." He let go of my hand and ran his fingers through my crimson hair. I touched my stomach and felt the indentation of my scar. I'd been shot there when I saved Xion—another of my friends that Slenderman killed—from committing suicide. She had been with Roxas, and after he and Axel died, she couldn't take life anymore. She tried to kill herself, but I saved her, risking my own life in the process. If I hadn't saved her, we probably would have never stopped Slenderman. She held him down long enough for me to fire a beam of light from the Void Gear through his stomach, but that beam also pierced her heart and I inadvertently killed her. We'd gotten so close just before her death. We bonded over our love for Sora. She was his ex-girlfriend, but she still had feelings for him. I'd been his girlfriend who wasn't ready to let go. It hurt me as I held Xion in my arms while she died from her wounds. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" John asked.

I looked over at him. His piercing green eyes held so much concern for me. He was still looking at the road, but I could see his eyes well enough to tell what he was feeling. I picked up my hand and ran it through his long, coarse, reddish-black hair. "Don't worry about me John," I said. "I just get like this every year on this day."

"I love you Kairi," he said.

"I love you too John," I said as we continued to our unknown destination.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Namine's PoV:<strong>_

I woke up at the same time as usual. I rolled over to see my darling husband, Riku. We'd been married for five months. He must have still been asleep because he wasn't moving, which was odd. He usually woke up before I did. I didn't worry about it too much, though. I was just thankful that I still had him. My best friend Kairi hadn't been so lucky when Slenderman attacked four years ago. She lost her boyfriend. We all lost so many friends within the week Slenderman and The Rake terrorized us. It was so horrible.

I got up and took a shower. The warm water ran over my pale skin and heated it up. I had a slight reddish color all over my body from the heat. It was so relaxing. I stepped out into the cold bathroom and dried my body. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I didn't look like I was only twenty-two. The trauma of Slenderman and the aftermath that came after his death had made me age slightly. I looked more like I was in my thirties. Strands of my blond hair started to gray shortly after Kairi killed Slenderman.

I happened to look at the pair of white panties I'd slept in last night. There was a red mark on them around the right butt cheek. I picked them up and examined the stain closer.

It was blood.

I didn't think too much of it at first. Maybe I'd cut myself in the middle of the night. I checked my backside in the mirror, but there were no cuts or bruises. That's when I started to worry. I threw a towel around myself and ran into the bedroom. "Riku, I found blood on my underwear," I said. I received no answer. "Riku are you alright?" I shook his shoulder, but still nothing. I rolled him over and was disturbed by what I saw. "No, Riku!" I screamed as I saw the hole in his chest where his heart should have been. I could see clear through it to the bed sheets. His heart and left lung were on the floor next to the bed. I screamed so loud that the whole apartment complex could probably hear me. I didn't care, though. All that I could think of was that my newlywed husband was dead. I grabbed handfuls of his silver hair and cried into his neck. I sobbed uncontrollably as it sunk in how real his death was. And what made things worse, I could only think of Slenderman doing something like this.

I heard a knock on the door. "Namine, did you scream?" our landlord, Terra, asked. I ignored him and went back to crying for my love. "Namine, please open the door. I'm coming in, Namine." Terra unlocked our door using his master key and searched the apartment for us. He found me lying in my towel on the bed next to Riku's body. "What happened?" he asked.

"I…I don't…I don't know," I choked out. "I just…j…just took a…sh…sh…sh…shower and f…f…found him dead!"

He came closer and saw the carnage. "Namine, I'm so sorry," he said as he motioned me to get up and come closer to him. I hugged him tightly. His wife Aqua walked in. "Aqua, Riku's dead," he said to her. "Namine's in pretty bad shape. She's not hurt, but she's very shaken by this."

"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry," she said, trying to comfort me. She was a very motherly woman. She wasn't much older than me, maybe a five year difference, but she treated me like a daughter. "It's going to be alright. We'll find out who did this and they'll pay." All I could think about was how wrong she was. Only a spirit or demon could have done something like that. I had witnessed this particular brand of cruelty before. Slenderman killed using the same tactics. He'd kill only those he wanted to at the time. "I'm calling the police," she said as she picked up the phone from the bedside. She cringed when she saw a little of Riku's blood had splattered onto it.

The police arrived shortly after and closed off our bedroom as a crime scene. I knew there would be a long, hard road ahead.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Kairi's PoV:<strong>_

"Where are we going John?" I asked as the scenery got less and less familiar. He was taking me out of town, I knew that much. I watched as Radiant Garden disappeared into the distance.

"You'll see," he said with a grin on his face. That grin always made my heart melt. Being with John felt like being with Sora. After driving to an empty field, John stopped the car. "We're here, baby."

"What do you have planned John?" I asked, not knowing why he brought me there.

"Just follow me," he said as he got out of the car, walked around the front, and opened my door for me.

"You know you don't have to do that," I said, appreciating his chivalry, but seeing how unnecessary it was.

"I know, but I want to. It's just how I was raised," he said as he took my hand and led me to the most beautiful patch of wildflowers. "Kairi, I've only known you for two years, but I've come to love you more than anything." He reached into the left pocket of his coat and pulled out a small, velvet box. He opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond engagement ring. "Will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?"

My mouth dropped open in shock. He had just proposed to me! "Oh my God, I don't know what to say," I said. My heart wanted to scream 'yes.' I started to open my mouth to speak the words I wanted to say, but my cellphone started to ring. I instantly knew it as Aqua, Namine's landlord. Aqua and Terra only called if something big happened. "I'm sorry, I have to take this. It's an emergency." I pulled my phone out of my pocket and answered. "Hello," I said.

Terra was the one on the phone. "Kairi, it's about Namine and Riku," he said. "Namine found Riku dead this morning. Somebody killed him in the middle of the night by cutting his heart and lung out." My stomach nearly heaved as I heard Terra describe the crime scene. "The police are investigating it right now. You'd better get down here. We're at the police station and they're questioning Namine."

"I'm on my way," I said. I wanted to cry, but I didn't let myself in front of John or Terra. Riku had been my best friend since Sora and I were children. He was my oldest living friend and my only tie to the past. Now that he was dead, I was completely alone. "Goodbye," I said as I hung up.

"What's wrong?" John asked. He was probably waiting on my answer, which was yes, but that would have to wait for a more appropriate time.

"Riku is dead," I said, the phrase cutting deep wounds into my heart. I just couldn't take it anymore. I collapsed and John caught me in his strong, loving arms. I lost all control and started crying into John's chest.

"Shh, it's ok Kai," he said lovingly, but I knew it wasn't true. It was not ok, and it never would be. "Do they know what happened to him yet?"

"All they know is that his heart and left lung were ripped out. They didn't release any other details to Terra," I said as my tears became heavier and my heart broke even more. Riku didn't deserve that.

"Where are they?" he asked.

"At the police station," I sobbed. John picked me back up and led me to the car. "I'm sorry I didn't give you an answer," I said as I sat down in the black Charger.

"It's ok Kai. I'll wait until you feel better," he said. "I love you."

"I love you so much and I really need you now more than ever," I cried. "And, yes," I said.

"Yes to what?" he asked.

"Yes, I will marry you. I love you," I said.

"Thank you Kairi."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Namine's PoV:<strong>_

"I'm telling you! I didn't kill my husband! I loved him!" I said as the police interrogated me. I didn't understand why they were doing this to me.

"We're not saying you killed him Namine," one cop said, the good cop. "We just want to eliminate all other suspects. Usually, we like to get family cleared first before moving on to other people. It's simple procedure."

"Besides, your fingerprints and DNA were found on his body," the other said, the bad cop.

"He was my husband! We had sex last night. Of course my DNA would be on him," I said. "And when I found him, I held him tightly."

"Why didn't you call 911 immediately?" the bad cop asked. I was truly starting to get pissed with him.

"Because I was so shocked and disturbed by what happened. Especially after what we went through four years ago," I said.

"Oh yes," he replied sarcastically. "You're talking about that Slenderman crap you came here with a few years ago. Did you know that you all were the prime suspects in that murder investigation? You came here with some made-up fairy tale about a demon killing your friends. You all should be glad you had rock-solid alibis." He got in my face and I thought he was going to hit me. I was so scared of him, it wasn't even funny.

"Rick, that's enough. Don't traumatize the poor woman," the good cop said. I think his name was Eliot. "She just lost her husband, for Heaven's sake."

"And I'm trying to do my job and find out who killed him. And right now, she's the best suspect we have so far," he yelled at his partner.

I did the only thing I could at the time. I cried. I cried for Riku, and also I cried because this man was destroying me on the inside. I knew I didn't kill Riku. I couldn't have killed him. I loved Riku more than anything else on this earth. I would have given my life for him before I would even think about taking his. And now, I'd never see his sparkling green eyes again, or run my fingers through his prematurely silver hair.

Eliot walked over to my side and put his arm around my shoulders. "It's ok Namine, we'll find the murderer and you'll get justice for your husband. You can count on us. I won't rest until your husband's killer is behind bars for the rest of his life," Eliot said, comforting me. I was thankful that he cared so much about me. I was only twenty-two years old and I was already a widow. My heart was broken beyond repair.

"I'm sorry, but can I please leave?" I asked. "I know my rights and I know you can't hold me here against my will without an arrest warrant. So please, just let me go and grieve for my husband." I stood up and wiped the tears from my puffy, red eyes. Eliot took me by the arm and led me outside while Rick sat at the table with his head in his hands. "Why does he treat me like I'm a murderer?" I asked Eliot.

"Don't worry about him. He just wants to put criminals in jail. His daughter was murdered a few years ago and he never got justice. Her killer walked away as a free man because of a corrupt judge and tainted jury pool. Rick isn't a bad person, really," Eliot explained. Now, I didn't blame him so much. I actually felt bad for Rick. At least we got justice for the people killed by Slenderman and the Rake. Xion sacrificed herself to buy Kairi enough time to destroy him. And now what, had Slenderman returned somehow?

"You don't think I did it, do you?"

"Of course not," Eliot said. "I don't even think you could kill a spider without a guilty conscience. You don't look like the type that would kill someone. And you're obviously grieving for Riku. Killers tend to not grieve for their victims."

"Thank you," I said as he led me back to the main office where Terra and Aqua were waiting.

Just as soon as I made it to my landlords, Kairi and John walked through the doors. "Namine, are you ok?" Kairi said as she ran to me and embraced me. "I was so worried about you. I'm so sorry about Riku."

"Thank you Kai, and I'm alright," I lied. "They just asked me some questions and I was finished answering them."

"I'm so glad you're ok," she said. "You're my best friend and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Kairi, I have something to tell you," I said as I led her away from Terra, Aqua, and John. "I think Slenderman is back. Only someone like him could have done that to Riku. I pray that I'm wrong, but I'm afraid that's the only thing I can think of."

Kairi's beautiful violet eyes grew wide in shock and her face turned whiter than my dress. "No," she said as tears fell. I knew what she was thinking. She was thinking about Sora, Xion, Roxas, Zexion, and Larxene. She was also thinking about how, if Slenderman returned, Sora and Xion would have died in vain. They gave their lives to save us, but what good did it do if that awful demon came back? "He can't be back! Xion died to help me kill him!"

"I can't think of anything else," I said.

John walked up behind Kairi and touched her shoulder. She jumped, but relaxed as soon as she saw it was him. "I forgot to give you this while we were in the car," he said as he pulled out a small box. He opened it to reveal a beautiful ring, not unlike the one Riku gave me when he proposed.

"Is that what I think it is?" I asked.

"Yes," Kairi said. "John and I are getting married soon. He proposed just before Terra called me. I answered him in the car on the way here."

In my heart, I was so happy for her, but also sad. She was going to have a husband that loved her, but I never would again. I didn't think I could ever remarry after Riku. I'd never loved anyone like I loved him, and I didn't plan on replacing him either. "Congratulations, both of you," I said half-heartedly. A small tear for Riku crept out of the corner of my eye. I promptly wiped it away. "Let's go, I want to get out of this place."

"Ok, you can stay with me," Kairi said. "John, you should probably come too. If Slenderman is back, we don't want to be separated. I don't want to risk you getting hurt." She stood on her tip toes and kissed him. She had to pull herself up like that because he was so much taller than her. She stood at 5' 8" while he was exactly 6' tall.

"Alright," he said. "Let's go out to my car." We told Terra and Aqua that I would be staying with Kairi while my apartment was still a crime scene. They told us to be safe and take care. They were kind people and I loved both of them so much.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Third Person PoV:<strong>_

Kairi, Namine, and John walked out of the police HQ toward John's black Dodge Charger. The three of them climbed into the vehicle, Namine getting in the back seat, Kairi sat in the passenger seat, and John stepped into the driver's side. Unbeknownst to them, a figure in a long, black trenchcoat was standing on a rooftop, watching them like experiments under a microscope. An evil grin formed on his scarred face and his eyes glowed red with lust for their death. The monster licked his lips in excitement, thinking of how their blood would taste. He wondered if it would be as satisfying as Riku's blood. "Your time will come soon enough, young people," he said. He pulled the hood of his coat over his head, covering his midnight-black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and spiked in the front. "I will have my vengeance for my Master." The creature raised his hand and opened a Corridor of Darkness, leading to the very pits of Hell.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So, what did you think of it? Not a lot scary happened besides Riku's death. I promise, it will have plenty of frights. This is just to set the stage for what is to come. I enjoyed including my OC John, who has also appeared in my stories: Shattered Hearts, A Heart Divided, Hearts of the Olympians, and Her Scars. He also appears in a chapter of Dragginninja's story, Nobody's Heartless: Organization Days (with full permission given by me). In the in-universe stories, he is my interpretation of the Unknown from Birth by Sleep.<p>

Just to get this out right now, I do not own the concept of the killer in this story. He is the property of my good friend Dragginninja. He has given me permission to use his currently-unused OC. I do, however, own my characterization of him. As of now, the killer hasn't appeared in one of Dragginninja's stories, so I have more freedom with the character. I promise one thing, by the time this is over, Kairi and Namine will be begging for Slenderman again. He's that evil.

About the cop, Eliot. His name is a tribute to Detective Eliot Stabler from Law and Order: SVU. It is my favorite crime drama, and he is tied for my favorite character with Olivia Benson.

Thank you to all of my faithful readers and subscribers for continuing to enjoy my work, and thank you to everyone who will read this in the future. I hope you enjoy this and continue to read/favorite/subscribe/review. Until next time, friends...


	2. Dead Bodies Everywhere

Author's Note: Hey, sorry about the long wait. I was a little blocked, but then it all hit me at once. Half this chapter was typed today. Not much else to say. Enjoy, friends...

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or even the demon that is killing people. The killer belongs to Dragginninja. I do, however, own John and whatever other OC's that may appear in the future chapters.

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><p><em><strong>Kairi's PoV:<strong>_

We made it to my apartment very quickly. I didn't live that far away from the police station. I had already slipped the engagement ring John had given me on my left finger. I tried not to display it too prominently around Namine. I could tell it hurt her deep to know that she'd never see Riku again. My heart broke for my best friend.

I unlocked my door and the three of us stepped into the living room. I led Namine to a chair and made her a cup of hot chocolate. I remembered the winter days we used to spend with Riku, Sora, Zexion, Larxene, Roxas, Xion, and Axel. A tear left my eye as I thought of the wonderful times we'd shared together. We'd have Christmas parties, Riku would hold an annual Halloween party, we went to concerts together, and we'd go camping together. Zexion and Larxene almost got us kicked out of the Megadeth concert we went to the summer before Slenderman killed them. She tried to sneak him into the ladies room so they could make out. I missed them all so much.

I sat down on the couch next to John and curled up next to him. It was so comforting to be in his arms. I looked at Nami and she had her head hung down, gazing at the half-empty cup of hot chocolate. I got up out of John's embrace and walked over to Namine. She looked up and I wrapped my arms around her. "Kairi, what are you…"

"You were there for me when Sora died, and now I'm going to be here for you," I said, referencing the time she comforted me after Sora was killed and I had the nightmare I could never forget.

"Thank you," she said. "You're my best friend and I love you so much."

"I love you too Namine," I said as I held my broken friend. I wanted so much to heal her broken heart, but I knew I couldn't do it. She couldn't even fix me after Sora died. I looked back and John was smiling at us.

We nearly jumped out of our skin when we heard frantic knocking at the door. I was half afraid to answer it. "Who's there?" I called out.

"It's me," said a familiar voice that I hadn't heard in a long time.

"Kadaj," I said as I walked slowly to the door. I looked through the peep hole to see my old friend standing there, scared out of his mind.

"Please, let me in Kairi." I opened the door and he practically fell in.

"How did you even know where I lived?" I asked. "I mean, it's great to see you, but why are you so scared?"

"I saw something," he said. The poor guy was trembling and I thought he was actually going to cry. Something traumatic must have happened. Ever since Slenderman killed Zexion and their parents, he has never been the same. "It was watching me this morning. It looked like a tall man in a black, hooded trenchcoat. He had the hood down for a split-second. I saw his face, his horrible face."

"It's ok, just slow down and you know you don't have to say everything at once," I said as I comforted him.

"His face was scarred. I couldn't tell if they were burn marks or cuts. He had long black hair that was tied back in a ponytail. His eyes glowed red like fire and he had blood around his lips," he said. I thought he would have a heart attack. "He told me…he told me to give you a message. He said to tell you that he will have his revenge on you Kairi."

The thing that must have killed Riku was after me? And it seemed like it wasn't just after me, but it was also killing the people close to me! "What are we going to do about this?" I asked.

"There's nothing we can do," he said.

"Don't you dare tell me there's nothing we can do," Namine spoke up in a dark tone. I turned back to her, but she hadn't looked up from her nearly-empty cup of hot chocolate. "This…thing killed Riku, and I'm not going to let him get away with it. Whatever this monster is, it will pay for taking my husband from me!"

I admired Namine's will to defeat whatever this monster was. Though, I heavily doubted we'd be able to do anything except prolong our own deaths. I looked to John and he seemed like he was trying to hide something, but he quickly changed his expression to concern when he noticed I was looking.

"I'll stay up and take first watch tonight just in case something happens," John volunteered. I walked over to my future husband and embraced him.

"No," I said. "I don't want anything to happen to you. I've already lost one person I love to a demon, and I don't want to lose you!" I looked into his green eyes and they were full of strength. He reminded me so much of Sora that it was uncanny.

"Nothing is going to happen to me Kai," he said. "I'll be fine and if I see anything, I'll wake you guys."

"You can't guarantee that," I stated bluntly. "Sora said almost that same thing before he died."

"Yeah, I know," he said.

"What?" I asked. How did he know that?

"Well…I…um…you told me a long time ago," he said hastily, stuttering over every other word. Something didn't add up with that. I may have mentioned it, but I was doubtful. I didn't like to talk about the moments before Sora's death, so John couldn't have known much about it. But I'd been such an emotional wreck in the early months of our relationship, so I may have said something and not remembered. There was a lot about the past four years I didn't remember due to periods of time I'd completely shut down and all the grief for my friends would hit me all at once. I didn't think too much more about it, though. I tried to prepare for the worst with the people I had left.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Namine's PoV:<strong>_

Kairi was gracious enough to let me have her room that night. She let me sleep in her bed while she pulled out an air mattress for Kadaj and another for her and John. I'd admit that a hint of jealousy crept into my heart. She would have the man that loved her lying next to her that night, but I'd never feel Riku lying next to me ever again. I just knew I'd wake up in the middle of the night and expect him to be there, and I'd probably cry when I realized he was dead.

I drifted to sleep quickly, but woke up to the sound of a chilling scream. After my eyes adjusted I saw John and Kairi had sat up, but Kadaj was nowhere to be found. The scream had to be his. In a panic, the three of us ran to the living room and witnessed a sight that we'd been too familiar with.

"No, please, don't do this!" Kadaj begged as a tall man in a black, hooded coat held him against the far corner of the room. The man's left hand was around Kadaj's throat and his right hand held a black sword. The room was filled with an air of pure evil, caused by the mysterious man's presence.

When the man spoke, I could tell immediately he was no human. He had a deep, demonic tone to his voice, yet another spoke that was shrill and scratchy. "You have served your purpose. You did as I asked and I have no further use for you, mortal. See you in Hell," he spoke in his terrifying dual voice.

"Please," Kadaj begged as the sword entered his stomach. Blood poured out and the creature twisted the blade in Kadaj's stomach. The monster stepped back and jerked the sword upward, slicing our friend partially in half. Kadaj's lifeless body collapsed, the two halves falling away from each other and all his organs spilling on Kairi's floor. I nearly vomited at the sight.

"No, Kadaj!" Kairi yelled. She tried to run toward the demon, but John had a hold of her shoulders. She was going nowhere, and he wouldn't risk losing her.

"Mortals, have you decided to join your friend in the eternal fires?" it asked.

"What are you?" she asked angrily. Kairi was nearly losing her mind. She'd been unstable for a long time due to the trauma of our friends' deaths, but now she'd almost reached her breaking point. It took four years for her to get straightened out and this…thing destroyed all of her progress in four seconds.

"I'll save that for another time," it said. "All will be revealed eventually. Then you can die."

The creature started to disappear, but I had no intention of letting him get away. "Get back here!" I screamed as I charged toward him. I could see under his hood that he was smirking at me as he disappeared into a Dark portal he created. The portal disappeared and I barreled face-first into the wall. It almost knocked me out. I put my hand to my lips and my top lip was bleeding. It was nothing serious, though.

We observed the gore that was Kadaj's remains. I couldn't believe this creature had taken him as the second victim. Kadaj hadn't been a part of any of this. The creature had no reason to kill him. I was actually surprised Slenderman had spared him the day he killed our families. I lost my father and mother that day. But, we all had. Riku, Kairi, Xion, Sora, and I had become orphans while we waited for Kairi to recover in the hospital.

"Namine, are you ok?" Kairi asked, concerned about my bleeding.

"I'm fine," I said. I looked up at my best friend. Kai and I were there for each other no matter what. Even through all the crap we'd been through in our lives, we still had each other. "But what are we going to do?"

She knew that I was talking about both what we would do with Kadaj, and how we were going to stop this monster. "I don't know," she said, her strong front wearing thin. John walked up to her and hugged her from behind. "This has just gotten so bad so suddenly. I thought we'd be safe after killing Slenderman."

"I won't let anything get to you Kai," John said reassuringly. Then, he did something I didn't expect. He let go of Kairi and hugged me, then pulled her into his arms and was holding both of us. "I swear on my life that whatever that thing was will not harm either of you as long as I'm alive."

"Looks like it's just the three of us this time," I said. Three people, it only took Slenderman two days to kill three people. This thing killed two in one day. If things followed suit, we'd be dead in 24 hours anyway, so I played along with all the positive thinking. This time, we didn't even have the benefit of the Void Gear or the magic it gave Kairi. I knew we were all dead. I guess the only hope we had was simple denial of our merciless fate.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Kairi's PoV:<strong>_

John, Namine, and I left my apartment that night, heading anywhere we could find shelter. This thing knew where Namine and I lived, so he probably knew where John lived as well. I couldn't let him risk getting killed in his own home.

We got into John's car and headed out of town until we either ran out of gas or came across a motel that was cheap enough. Thankfully, the motel came first. It was cheap, $50 a night for the three of us. I honestly didn't care if it was dirty, half-broken down, or full of hookers. I just wanted a safe place to sleep. All I asked for was a moment of peace. I had some anxiety pills left over from the depression I went through up to the day I met John. I started to take them, but decided I needed to be as sober as I could until this was all over. If we survived, I'd let them put me on so many drugs that I couldn't even remember my name. I wasn't counting on that, though. I mentally prepared myself for the fact that I would, more than likely, die. I tried to think about the possibility that I'd see Sora again. I'd never believed in an afterlife until Slenderman came. Now, I knew what waited for me after death, having seen through the portal into Hell. It didn't really make the thought of dying any more appealing, but it would happen eventually anyway, so I didn't let it get to me. If there was a Hell, there had to be a Heaven, and I knew Sora was there. I couldn't imagine someone like him going to Hell. I hoped Xion and the others were with Sora too. It would break my heart if any of my friends were in Hell, being tormented even though they were good people.

We checked into the motel. Thankfully, it was cleaner than I was expecting. The brown wallpaper was peeling in a few scattered places, but that was something I could live with. There were two beds. John and I would take one, and Namine would sleep in the other. I decided to take a shower and change clothes. All three of us needed showers and I wanted to go first. I picked some pajamas, which were a gray cropped top and a pair of gray basketball shorts, out of the bag I hastily packed and took them to the bathroom.

After stripping off my blood-soaked clothes, I stepped in the shower and turned the water to my preferred temperature. The warm water turned my pale skin a slight reddish color. As I stood under the water, I heard small whispers. I shrugged them off as probably Namine and John talking in the other room, but I realized it wasn't them when the whispering grew louder. I now could hear that it was one person, but couldn't make out what they were saying. I turned the water off so I could hear better, and that's when the whisper turned into a familiar, malevolent voice.

"Sweet, little Kairi, it's your turn to die!" the voice said. I turned in the shower stall to see where it was coming from, but couldn't see anyone. I realized the voice was in my head. "I'm gonna cut that pretty skin of yours so slowly. I want to hear you scream for mercy, which you won't receive."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked. I pressed my hands against my ears, foolishly hoping to block out the voice. But it was no use because the voice was all in my mind anyway.

"Why, I think you know why I'm doing this. After all, it's all your fault that I'm here in the first place. You killed my Master, so naturally I'd want revenge. You know a thing or two about revenge don't you, pretty Kairi? You killed Slenderman out of revenge, didn't you? He killed your boyfriend, so naturally you wanted to end him. And end him you did. He didn't even return to Hell, but rather faded from existence altogether. But I'm not going to have the same fate happen to you. No, I'll kill you slowly, and then the real fun will begin when you go to Hell. I'll get to play with you forever. Won't that be fun, darling?"

"Leave me alone!" I screamed, tears flooding from my eyes.

"Never, you little whore," he said cruelly in his double-voice. "You've pissed me, and now you'll have to pay the price!"

"Go away!"

That's when things went from bad, to worse. I got flashes in my mind of horrible, unholy things. The monster showed me my worst nightmares. I was carried away to a room in a mental hospital. I was sitting on the bed, alone at first, but then the scene changed. Blood oozed from the walls until the room was completely red and blood pooled a foot deep on the floor. One by one, the heads and body parts of Sora, John, Roxas, Namine, Xion, and Riku bobbed up to the surface. The bed disappeared from under me and I fell into the pool of blood. When I went under, it was deeper than it looked. I opened my eyes as if I was under water, and I could even breathe. I swam through the blood, not in any particular direction, but just anywhere. I came across Sora in a ghostly form. "Kairi, you could have saved me!" he said just before he was set ablaze before me. He screamed as he was consumed by the flames, his cries enduring even after his body vanished. It was more than I could take and I couldn't even bring myself to scream.

I snapped back to reality. I had fallen and was sitting with my back against the shower stall. I brought my knees to my chest and cried. All I could do was cry.

"Kairi, are you ok?" John called to me. "What's wrong baby?" His voice held so much concern for me.

"Wait just a minute," I said, pulling myself together enough to grab the towel and wrap it around my body. John had never seen me naked, and I didn't think that was the best time for him to see me. We had slept together a couple of times, but that was just it, actual sleeping. We'd never had sex. I hadn't had sex with anyone since Sora, and that was only twice. "Now you can come in," I said as I wiped the last of my tears away and sat on the toilet.

"Kairi, what happened?" he asked as he walked over to me. He placed his arm around my shoulder and kissed my cheek.

"I…I saw…visions. It really disturbed me," I said, keeping a monotone so my emotions wouldn't take over and cause me to break down again. "I saw…blood and…body parts…Sora caught on fire right in front of me and I heard him scream. I really heard Sora scream, John. And the demon spoke to me."

"What did it say?" he asked, his black eyebrows raised with curiosity.

"I don't want to talk about it," I said.

"That bad, huh?" he stated. John knew better than to press the issue. After being together for two years, he knew me better than anyone else, except maybe Namine. "I'll be here for you. I love you Kai."

"I love you too," I cried into his jet-black hair. It still smelled like Kadaj's blood, but I didn't care as long as he was there with me. I pulled away from him. "Can I be alone so I can dry off and get dressed?"

"Sure baby," he said as he walked out of the room.

As soon as he was gone, I uncovered myself and began drying myself. After I was dry, I put on the cropped top and shorts. I didn't pack many clothes and only one pair of underwear, but Namine and John hadn't packed much either. Namine borrowed some of my clothes while John already had a few shirts and pairs of pants at my house just in case he spent the night.

I walked to the room and John claimed the bathroom for his shower. I threw myself on the bed and rolled over onto my back. I stared at the ceiling with a blank mind. I thought of nothing in particular. I looked down at my stomach and gently touched the deep scar from my gunshot wound. It honestly looked like a second bellybutton. I chuckled at the comparison and Namine, who was reading a little magazine about the hotel, looked over to me with curiosity in her eyes. "Kai, are you ok?" she asked.

"I'm fine," I honestly replied. "I just thought of something funny."

"What was it? I could use a little humor," she said. And I could tell she really needed it.

"My scar on my stomach looks like a bellybutton," I said.

She smiled and went back to reading her magazine. I could tell she didn't find it as humorous as I had, but that was alright. It was funny to me, and that was all that mattered. She put down her book when John walked into the room, wearing a pair of my basketball shorts. The shorts he and I were wearing actually came from Sora. He gave them to me a few years back after they didn't fit him anymore. I was surprised John could wear them. He was three inches taller than Sora had been, but then I noticed he'd taken the drawstring and untied it. That was the only way he could wear them. Sora hadn't been bright enough to think about doing that, apparently. Or maybe he just wanted to give them to me. He always did things like that for me. He and John were like carbon copies of one another.

After Namine took her shower we decided to get some sleep. Namine was wearing a cropped top and shorts like mine, but hers were colored white instead of gray. Cropped tops were all I could sleep in. All my nightshirts were uncomfortable and would always ride up anyways. I just decided one day to cut them all into belly shirts to avoid that problem. I slept like a baby ever since.

"Goodnight," I said as I reached to turn off the lamp on the desk beside the bed.

John and Namine said their goodnights as darkness enveloped the room. John put his arm around my waist and kissed my neck, showing me that he was there and would hold me all night. I heard Namine whimper in the other bed. "Namine, come over here with us," I said as I turned the light back on.

"Are you sure?" she asked timidly.

"Yeah, there's plenty of room here," I said. And I was telling the truth. For the hotel to have been so cheap, the beds were moderately large.

She brought her pillow over to our bed and John and I scooted over so she would have room. There was still plenty of room in the bed with all three of us there. She turned the light off, leaving us in darkness again. I put my left hand on John's hand, which was on my stomach. He took it and felt my engagement ring. I prayed we'd live through this so the two of us could finally get married. I could only hope that whatever God there was would hear my prayers and answer them. I finally drifted into blissful sleep, the last peaceful sleep I'd ever have.

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><p>Author's Note: So, what did you think? This chapter was SOOOOOO hard to write these past few weeks, but it just came to me today and I couldn't stop writing. I listened to a lot of KoRn while writing this. Specifically the songs Freak on a Leash, Twist, Twisted Transistor, Dead Bodies Everywhere, and Another Brick in the Wall.<p>

Drop a review and let me know how I did. Until next time, friends...


	3. To Zanarkand

Author's Note: Hey guys, here's the new chapter. Only two PoV switches this time. Namine, then Kairi.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts characters, Tidus and Yuna from Final Fantasy X, Smiledog, or Xiorgan. Smile Dog is a popular creepypasta. Do a google search and read it. It's very interesting, and the picture, as described in this story, is very unsettling. I do own John.

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><p><em><strong>Namine's PoV:<strong>_

To say that I had a nightmare would be sugarcoating things. I couldn't even tell if anything was real or fake. I was in a dark room. The moon was shining brightly outside, but the room was illuminated by a different source. Some red light, I couldn't find where it came from, was shining and allowed me to see the beast before me.

I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a dog or what. Its face was shaped like a dog, but it had massive, sharp, human-like teeth in its mouth, long black hair on its head, and was smiling at me. I also saw behind it a gray hand with long fingers and sharp fingernails stretching from the Darkness, begging me to come closer, but I couldn't have moved even if I wanted to. The dog-like demon had me fixed in its horrible gaze. Its white skin was illuminated by the blood-red light. I was paralyzed with unbearable fear. And somehow, I knew there would be no escape.

I half-expected the creature to attack me. Having been exposed to all manner of demons before, it wouldn't have surprised me if this thing killed me slowly. But it didn't. It just stood there, the whole scene like a still image. I started to relax and think that maybe I was only seeing a photograph, but that's when things turned terrifying.

"He will come for you," a voice said. I knew somehow it belonged to the creature, though its mouth didn't move. The voice was like several fingernails being dragged across a chalkboard. I felt tears run down my face for no reason other than that I was scared and wanted more than anything for this to be over. "There is no escape, Namine. Xiorgan will kill you and drag your soul to Hell."

I fought, trying to wake myself up. I realized this was all a dream, but I couldn't escape. It was so horrible, but I was trapped. I started to cry. "Please, leave me alone!" I said, trying to scream, but it only came out as a whimper. "Riku…I need you." I cried for my dead husband. I was so lost without him, and I wished so badly for him to be able to come and save me. But I knew in my heart that wouldn't happen.

I suddenly woke up in a pool of sweat. I bolted upright and woke John and Kairi up. I heard screaming and quickly realized it was me. I hushed myself before I could wake the whole motel. "Namine, what's wrong?" Kairi asked with concern, wrapping an arm around my shoulder to calm me down.

"I…I…I had this dream," I said through my heavy tears. I started to elaborate on the horrible nightmare I'd experienced. I told them of how the creature gave me the demon's name.

"So, his name is Xiorgan," John said. I thought I heard him mutter under his breath something like, "they never told me it was him." But I didn't know if I heard him right or not.

"Excuse me?" Kairi asked. "Who never told you it was him?"

"What…nothing," he said, covering up whatever he might have almost revealed. "But this is bad if he's getting inside your heads like this. Kairi, Namine, whatever you do, don't ever reveal to him our location. I know he'll use everything in his power to get you to confess, but you can't allow that. You have to be strong!"

Kairi hugged both of us tightly. She didn't say a word as she held us. I felt a warm tear escape her eye that was pressed against my cheek. I embraced my best friend and her fiancé. "Don't cry Kairi," I said.

"I just don't want to lose either of you," she said through her tears. "If you died, I don't know if I could survive!"

"You're not going to lose me Kai," I said.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Nami," she said. "Sora said the same thing when Slenderman was trying to kill us, and look what happened to him!"

"Well, we need to keep moving if we want to live long enough to find a way to stop Xiorgan," John said. "I know a place we can probably find help. I know two people, Yuna and Tidus Kurosaki. Yuna is a spiritual advisor and knows a thing or two about the paranormal and spirits. She may know a way to stop this monster."

"Ok, let's check out and you can take us to them," Kairi said. I prayed that the answers we sought would be found in Yuna and Tidus.

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><p><em><strong>Kairi's PoV:<strong>_

After packing our few belongings and changing into normal clothes—a pink shirt and denim shorts for me, a black t-shirt and jeans for John, and a white shirt with light jeans for Namine— we checked out of the motel and set off to find John's friends. I didn't know how much they could help us, but I was desperate enough to try anything. I just prayed we wouldn't be betrayed by them like Vanitas had years ago.

He drove us out of town. I watched the signs go by, Radiant Garden, Agrabah, and finally he turned down an exit toward Zanarkand. "Your friends live in Zanarkand?" I asked.

"Not quite," John replied. "They're in one of its suburbs, Besaid. Yuna has had a connection to spirits since she was a small child. She perfected her talents under the training of her father Braska. She speaks so highly of her father. Tidus' father was Braska's assistant, and that's how the two of them met. Now, Tidus and Yuna have been married for ten years. They're truly kind people and I know they'll help us."

We drove silently the rest of the way to Besaid. I'd heard of it. It was along the coast and was a popular tourist spot. People vacationing to Zanarkand would stay there and relax. We wouldn't be so lucky. Our trip was far more serious than that. Namine sat in the back seat alone, but I didn't take my eyes off of her from the rear-view mirror. I couldn't help thinking about the pain of losing my best friend. I loved her and John more than anything, and they were really all I had left, such a depressing thought. I didn't even have my sanity anymore because of Xiorgan.

Finally, we arrived to the sunny paradise that was Besaid. It wasn't as busy as I was expecting, and that's what I was hoping. Less civilians around meant less chance of things to spiral out of control if Xiorgan happened to find us. John pulled into the driveway of a small house that was out of the way of all the others. It was a nice place, looking like what I imagined John and I would have one day. It was a two-story, brick home with the curtains in the windows drawn. My guess was that Yuna didn't want to draw attention to whatever rituals she performed. I couldn't believe myself. I was judging Yuna before I even met her. I assumed she was a master of Dark arts like Vanitas, but John only said she was a spiritual advisor with experience in the paranormal. That didn't mean she was a witch or something, but still, with what I went through, that's all I could imagine. Though, even if she was a sorceress, I was once one too. I never forgot the power that the Void Gear gave me. It helped me survive the battle against Slenderman, but it also was responsible for the death of Xion. I was responsible for her death. Really, I thought I was the one to blame for all their deaths. If I hadn't summoned Slenderman in the first place, my friends would still be alive. But John and Namine wouldn't let me beat myself up about that for very long. They would always tell me that I had no way of knowing that Ouija board would open a portal to Slenderman. Though I trusted them, it did little to ease my mind and did absolutely nothing to help me forgive myself. I would never forgive myself for as long as I lived, which probably wouldn't be very long.

We got out of John's car and walked to the front door of Yuna's house. Namine and I stood behind him as he rang the doorbell and waited for an answer. The door opened to reveal a beautiful woman. She was around my height and had short, dark-brunette hair with a long braid in the back that reached to the floor. She was wearing a white t-shirt that complimented her figure, light-blue jeans, and was barefoot. Her most incredible feature, however, was her eyes. She had heterochromia, one eye was blue, and the other was green. "John, welcome," she said. "And who are these two lovely ladies?"

"Hello Yuna," he said. "This is my fiancée, Kairi, and our best friend, Namine. I wish our reunion could be on better grounds, but we need your help."

"Oh my, well, come inside. Tidus is in the basement, but he'll be back shortly," Yuna said as she led us into her house. The inside was not what I was expecting. It looked like any normal home. There were pictures on the walls. Tidus and Yuna's wedding picture, a prom picture, and what appeared to be an ultrasound photo decorated the walls. After seeing the ultrasound, I noticed Yuna's belly was slightly bulged. I smiled when I realized she was pregnant. "What did you need to talk about? What kind of help do you need?"

"What do you know about a demon called Xiorgan?" John asked.

Yuna's hand flew up to her mouth as she gasped. "Oh no, is he after you?" she asked in horror, her multi-colored eyes growing wide.

"I'm afraid so," John said. "He killed Namine's husband and gave Namine and Kairi horrible visions. He only revealed his name to Namine this morning. Is there anything you can do Yuna?"

"I'm so sorry for your loss Namine," she said with sympathy.

"Thank you Mrs. Kurosaki," Namine said.

"Please, call me Yuna," she said, showing a beautiful smile. "But I don't know what to do about Xiorgan. Nobody who has ever been hunted by him has ever survived. But I will try my hardest to help you."

"Do you think we could forge another Keyblade?" I interjected. "I used Void Gear to destroy Slenderman four years ago. I heard there are others. Maybe one of them could be the key to defeating him!"

"You actually destroyed Slenderman?" she asked. "And you used the Void Gear to do it? That is so amazing Kairi. And you're right, there are many different Keyblades. As many Keyblades exist as there are capable wielders. I'll be right back. I have to check my books and see which Keyblade might work best against him." The mother-to-be spiritualist left the room and went to the basement where her husband was.

"Do you think she can actually find anything about the Keyblades, John?" I asked.

"If anyone could, Yuna can," he said. "She's an expert in these things."

"And she won't betray us like Vanitas did?"

"No, I promise she won't. Yuna isn't like that. She's a kind and caring woman," John reassured. "She and Tidus have been very good friends the short time I've known them."

After a short time, Yuna came back upstairs with three thick books. "These are the works I have on the Keyblades. There are many, but certain ones are more legendary than others," she said. Yuna opened one of the books to a marked page. The Keyblade displayed was beautiful. It was long, blue, and had a sharp blade in the center. The teeth of the key were shaped like a heart and it had gold mesh covering the blade. "This is called the Ultima Keyblade. Its name suggests exactly what it is. This Keyblade is the most powerful, able to slay any demon or angel. The way you forge this blade is…" Yuna didn't finish her sentence. She gripped her head tightly in her hands and screamed as if she were in the most excruciating pain she'd ever felt in her life. Veins in her forehead started to bulge and suddenly her head exploded.

Blood and brain matter splattered all over the room and on me, John, and Namine. "Oh my God," I screamed.

"Yuna!" John yelled as her limp, headless corpse fell from the chair and onto the floor, blood pouring from her neck and soaking the carpet in crimson. I couldn't believe she had just died.

"What's wrong," a man said as he charged up the stairs from the basement. He had sandy-blond hair and blue eyes. He must have been her husband, Tidus. "No, Yuna," he said as he ran over to his dead wife. He cried harder than I'd ever seen a man cry in my life. He clutched her bloody, decapitated form tightly. "What happened to her?"

"I don't know Tidus," John said. "She was talking to us about the Ultima Keyblade and all of the sudden, her head exploded! I think Xiorgan knows we're here!"

Without thinking, I ripped the page with the Ultima from the book. It was bloody, but still legible. I stuffed it into the pockets of my denim shorts. I looked back to Tidus, who was still cradling his dead wife and unborn child. I almost went to put a hand on his shoulder, but suddenly, he exploded much the same as his wife had, but the detonation came from his chest. His eyes were wide as his body crashed to the ground. "Tidus, no," John yelled. I felt so bad. John had lost two of his friends that day. I knew exactly what he must have been going through. I was scared out of my mind.

Out of the Darkness in the corner of the room, the demon's form materialized. He had a smirk on his scarred, burned face. "Do you like my newest artwork?" he asked, as if this was all just a sick joke.

"I'm gonna kill you, murderer!" Namine yelled as she tried to charge him yet again. This time, John had a firm grip on her arms. She struggled to escape his grasp. Namine kicked and flailed and cursed, while all Xiorgan did was laugh at her, laugh at us all. Human lives meant nothing to him. "How did you know where to find us?"

"I have my ways," he said. "I can sense people with connections to the spiritual world. That's how I found pretty, little Yuna." He walked over to her corpse and stroked her right arm gently before ripping her right hand off. The monster tossed the hand in his mouth and consumed it in one bite. "Hmmm, delicious," he said sadistically.

"You're sick," I said with venom in my voice. "Burn in Hell!"

"You first Kairi," he said as he disappeared into the shadows, leaving a sulfurous smell behind that slowly faded to the smell of Tidus and Yuna's blood. I stared in shock at their gore and tried to keep myself from vomiting. I was unsuccessful and emptied my stomach onto the floor near their bodies. The sight made me so sick that I couldn't handle it any longer.

We ran outside and piled into John's car, not worrying about the bodies. We didn't have time to call the police and they couldn't have done anything anyway. I took a few Burger King napkins from the glove box, passed some to John and Namine, and started to wipe Yuna's blood from my face. A tear escaped my eye, then another, and then another as I thought of her. She was a sweet, kind woman. She didn't deserve to die, not like that. And the baby, dead before it even had a chance at life! Xiorgan cared nothing for people. He was cruel enough to kill a pregnant woman and her husband. I swore that day that I'd kill him, even if I had to go into the fires of Hell to do it!

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><p>Author's Note: So, was this worth the wait? Let me know how you liked it by dropping a review or PM. Thank you for reading and enjoying.<p>

P.S. I know, not very creative giving Yuna and Tidus the last name "Kurosaki." lol I was watching Bleach while typing that part and it sounded like it would fit.


	4. The Ultimate Weapon

Author's Note: So, here's the new Creeping Death chapter. Just one or two more to go. I don't think I can drag this out any longer. I never really even intended it to be long anyway. Thank you all for reading this story. A lot happens in this chapter, starting from Namine's PoV and ending with it as well. Enjoy...

P.S. Forgive my use of the word "retarded" later in the chapter. No offense is meant by it, just thought it would fit with how Kairi's mood at the time was. She uses such a strong word for a reason.

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><p><strong><em>Namine's PoV:<em>**

John drove for hours until Besaid was nothing more than a distant, traumatic memory. I rode in the back seat by myself as Kairi was asleep on his shoulder and John was paying attention to the road. I reflected on the events of that day as the sun set out the window. Yuna, an innocent victim, Tidus, the man who loved her, and the baby that would never see the light of day, they were all killed by the same monster who took my husband from me! I was so angry that I was seeing red and was afraid I'd burst a vein.

I could have sworn I'd seen Riku's face in the window, smiling back at me. "Riku…" I whispered.

"Did you say something, Nami?" John asked with concern in his voice.

"What, oh, it's nothing," I lied. I started crying, and knew the charade wouldn't work for long. "Wait, I lied. I'm just taking Riku's death so hard. John, will I ever get over this depression?"

"I can't say for sure," he said. "But I believe it will get easier every day you're alive. I'd be the same way if Kairi died and I'm sure she was the same when Sora died."

"She didn't even get to grieve until after she and Xion killed Slenderman," I said. "Xion, she sacrificed her own life to buy Kairi enough time."

"Xion was an amazing girl," John said. "I dated her, myself, years ago. I just can't believe she's dead."

"Really," I asked. "She never mentioned she knew you."

"Things were a little complicated, and we broke up," he said. "She probably just didn't want to talk about it." I took that excuse at face value. I honestly didn't feel like probing deeper into the matter, and also, I thought it was hard for John to talk about it. He didn't show it, but I knew that it had to hurt him at some level, knowing she was dead and that he never got to say goodbye. "Hey Nami, any idea where we're going?" he asked, chuckling to lighten the mood.

"No clue," I said. "I guess we keep going until we run out of gas?"

"Sounds better than anything I could think of," he said.

I sat there for a minute, but decided to speak up. "Wait, what are we doing? Is running really going to do any good? I mean, eventually we'll get tired and slip up. Then, Xiorgan will just be waiting to kill us." I looked at Kairi and saw something sticking out of her pocket. "What's this…a page from Yuna's book?"

"What does it say?" he asked.

"It's the instructions on how to forge Ultima Weapon!" I said in amazement. I looked at my best friend's sleeping form and smiled. "I love you, Kairi!"

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><p><strong><em>Kairi's PoV:<em>**

I was awakened from my deep, dreamless sleep by the sound of a car door slamming. My eyes fluttered open to see John walking over to my door. He opened it for me and helped me out through my drowsiness. "Hey, beautiful," he said, kissing me on the lips gently.

"Where are we?" I asked. I saw an abandoned shack in front of us and Namine was already heading inside.

"We're somewhere safe," he said. "Namine found the paper in your pocket. We're going to read it and find out what we need to forge Ultima."

We entered the musty, broken-down house and horrible memories entered my mind. It reminded me of the old witch's house where I summoned Slenderman. I never wanted to be in another place like that again, but there I was. This place wasn't doing anything for my mental stability. I wanted so badly to go out to John's car and take one of the sedatives that I'd hidden in his glove box, but I knew I needed to be sober in order to survive. If I became stoned now, I'd surely die.

I sat with Namine and John on the floor as Namine unfolded the paper and used her iPod as a flashlight. "Ok, this says we need to choose one of us to bear the Keyblade," Namine said. Her eyes scanned the text, memorizing every live-saving word carefully. "We'll need some ingredients, one of which will be a cupful of the bearer's blood."

"A whole cupful of blood," I asked. "Won't that make the person extremely weak if it doesn't put them into a coma?"

"For a moment, yes," she said. "But the instructions go on to say that Ultima will endow the wielder with more power. The way it describes the Keyblade, it will give whoever uses it more power than Void Gear would." Namine started to say something, but her voice choked up. I feared for what she read, knowing it couldn't have been good. "I should have known this kind of power wouldn't be free. It mentions a…sacrifice."

Both mine and John's jaws dropped as low as they could. "What kind of sacrifice?" I asked reluctantly, not really wanting to know, but more out of necessity.

Namine swallowed hard and a tear fell from her left eye. "A…a human sacrifice," she said. "The person closest to the wielder must kill themselves for the ritual to be complete. One of us has to die."

John started to speak up and stood up. "So, if I bear the Keyblade, Kairi will die," he said.

"And if I use it, John will," I said.

"And if I do, Kairi will die," Namine said. "Looks like I'm the only safe one."

"John, you take it," I said.

"No, you take it, Kairi," he said defiantly. "I don't care to die again!"

Namine and I looked at each other then looked at John again. "What did you just say?" we asked simultaneously.

John looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a semi-truck. He started to speak, but tripped over his words. "Well…I…ok, I guess it doesn't matter anymore," he stuttered. "I have a confession to make. I'm not who I said I am."

I scooted over closer to him. "Just tell us," I said. "Who are you really?"

"Kai…it's me. I'm Sora," he said.

I immediately stood up, blood boiling because of his insane claim to be Sora. "You liar," I said in a low tone. My anger caused me to lash out at my fiancé. I drew my hand back and slapped him across the face, leaving a red, hand-shaped mark across his left cheek. "John, how could you say something so retarded? I watched him die!" I took off my engagement ring and threw it at his face, the tiny band hitting him square between the eyes. "How dare you, calling yourself Sora. I ought to beat the crap out of you, but you aren't worth my time!" I stood up and stormed out of the house. It was dark outside, but I didn't care. I sat on a log that was lying outside the house and hung my head down is anger and sadness.

I felt a hand tap my shoulder. I looked up to see John's long, black hair hanging down in my face. "Kairi, please…you have to believe me," he said. "I can tell you things that only Sora would know. Like the time when we were fourteen. We sat on the docks at Destiny Islands while visiting your grandparents. We watched the sunset together, the first time I ever started to see you as more than a friend. But then you and Demyx got together, and I was left alone. Xion and I dated, but all that time, I really wanted you! That night on the docks, you made me promise I'd never change, that I'd be the same Sora forever. Well, I may be in a different body, but my heart is still the same, and I still love you Kairi!"

I gasped and my heart nearly stopped. "How did you know that?" I asked.

"Because it's me, Kairi," he said. "It's Sora, and I came back to help you."

"How did you come back?" I said, darting upward to embrace him tightly. "Slenderman killed you!"

"I spent two years in Heaven," he said. "It was…so much more amazing than you could ever imagine. There aren't words to describe its beauty. Kairi, the only reason I left was because they told me you were in danger. When Michael, the Archangel, told me that I was being sent back, I refused at first, but when he told me that I would be there to help you, I couldn't refuse anymore. The thought of something happening to you was unbearable. They said the demon that was after you had the ability to take you to Hell, regardless of whether you were good or evil. Kairi, I couldn't let you be taken there! I saw that dream, and I know that it was exactly like that or even worse. I can't let Xiorgan take you to Hell."

"Oh, Sora," I said, not loosening my hold on John/Sora. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again." I cried my eyes out. I was happy. Even amidst this Hell, my heart was full of joy, finally having my Sora back. Well, I'd had him for two years, but I'd not known it was him.

"I'm here, Kai," he reassured. "I'm here." He held me for a few minutes, letting me feel the familiar embrace. "It's been killing me to not tell you, but I had to keep it secret as long as I could. Michael told me to keep my identity secret unless it was absolutely necessary. I do believe this counts as being necessary, don't you?"

"I…Sora," I said, not knowing words to say. "I can't let you die! I just got you back!"

"I'll go back to Heaven if I die, he reassured me of that," Sora said. "This wasn't a full reincarnation, they don't do that. This was just a short return so I could help you."

"But I can't let you…I," I said, but he hushed me by placing his finger on my lips.

"I'll see you again," he said. "It may be years, but I will see you again. I came here knowing that there would be danger, that I would probably have to give my life for you, and I'm not afraid to die if I'm dying for you. Let's go back inside. I'm sure Namine is scared to death being by all by herself." I pulled away from him and kissed him once more before taking his hand and following him back inside the house.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Namine's PoV:<strong>_

I just couldn't believe that John was really Sora. Though I didn't have much evidence, I strangely believed him. There was always a familiar air around John, but I'd have never guessed it was Sora. I prayed that Riku would get the same second chance, but I knew it wouldn't happen. There had to have been a good reason for him to come back, otherwise Sora would have stayed in Heaven forever, not that that would be a bad thing, of course.

I thought I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look, but nothing was there. I nearly jumped out of my skin when Kairi and John returned, hand in hand, and sat down next to me. "So, I take it you believe him now, Kai?" I said.

"He's told me things that no one besides Sora would know," she said. "I just can't accept that he's anything other than what he said he is. Namine, do we have what's necessary for the ritual?"

I bit my lip. "Yes, but…I'm not about to lose either one of you," I said, hiding the tear that fell from my eye with a lock of my blond hair. "We've been together since this all started and I can't stand the thought of us being separate. I definitely couldn't live with myself if I was the cause of Kairi's death."

"I know," Sora said. "But we have to. It's the only way to stop Xiorgan. Kairi can do the ritual; I'll give my life up. I came here knowing full-well that this was only temporary. When this was over, I'd be going back to Heaven anyway. Just do the ritual on Kairi and we'll be able to end this nightmare with both of you still alive."

I set up the circle for Kairi and John/Sora to stand in. Kairi stood there, John's pocketknife in hand, ready to slit her throat for the forging of Ultima. The blade was supposed to appear in her hand as soon as a cup of blood had drained from her wound. Hopefully, the wound would close before she died. The spilling of her blood in the circle would then rip John's body to pieces. Special provisions in the instructions said the wielder could look away as the person they loved most died. Whoever designed this spell at least had a heart about something.

"Are you ready," I asked, handing Kairi the paper with an incantation on it.

"No, but I don't have a choice," she said. She walked over to John and gave him one, last passionate kiss. She reminded me of how I would kiss Riku. In less than an hour, Xiorgan would be getting exactly what was coming to him!

"I love you, Sora," she said.

"Love you too, Kai," he replied. "See you later?"

"Yeah, I'll see you later," she said. She walked back to her spot and read the incantation from the paper. I couldn't understand what she was saying. It wasn't even really her consciously doing it about halfway through. All light was snuffed out save for a blue and gold glow from the circle she and Sora stood in. Sora's face held an expression of dread, dread for the pain. He knew that this was going to be unbearable, being ripped apart. Kairi finished the spell, took a final, pained look toward Sora, and then turned her head. She raised the long, steel blade of the knife to her throat and her jugular poured crimson at an alarming rate. A little blood made its way over to me. And some hit Sora right in the face.

Sora started to scream like a man on fire. It was like every nerve ending in his body had been set to "pain." I dared to take a peek, and was disturbed that I couldn't look away. His clothes and skin melted away like he was over a pyre. His muscle was exposed and I could see his blood boiling under his veins. He held a hand out to me in desperation, but I didn't reach mine out. I only cried and tried to hold on to whatever mental stability I still possessed. His eyes shriveled up in their sockets and he collapsed to his knees. Kairi's neck stopped spewing blood around that time while everything of Sora except his bones burned away. A long, blue Keyblade appeared in her hands as her eyes started to glass over. She regained her strength in almost an instant. Actually, Kairi looked even more radiant than she already had. There was a bright glow around her that enhanced her natural beauty. She looked like a goddess, though she may have actually been one.

She stepped out of the circle and walked to me. "Namine…it worked," she said. We both looked at Sora's smoking skeleton with pain in our hearts. "But was it worth this price?"

"Sora chose this, Kairi," I said. "He knew what would happen and did it anyway because he loved us so much. But he especially did it because he loved you and couldn't stand to see you die if he or I used it."

She held up the blade. It was long, blue, and had the same white aura Kairi possessed. A crown on a heart made up the teeth of the key while interweaving strands of gold, silver, and blue metal snaked down the length of the blade. The guard was two crowns on a circular guard. "You're right, Nami," she said, "but I still despise Keyblades."

"I know, Kai," I said. "But now that we have this, we can avenge the people we loved who Xiorgan took away from us!"

She took one more look at Sora's charred bones. A tear escaped from her eye. "Let's end this, Namine! Let's do it for Sora, Kadaj, Riku, Tidus, and Yuna!"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Surprise! John was Sora. I'd had people ask if John wasn't really who he said he was. I think one even asked if he was a bad guy. I've planned this since I started the story. Notice all the times that he knew things like the details of Sora's death. I tried to drop hints that he wasn't who he claimed to be. It's just sad he had to sacrifice himself. But something as powerful as Ultima wouldn't be free. It would have to cost something dear to you.<p>

Next chapter will be the climactic final battle between Kairi and Xiorgan, so stay tuned. Thank you, Dragginninja, for allowing me to use Xiorgan before you even used him yourself lol.


	5. Final Chapter: I Bring You Hell

Author's Note: So, here's the last chapter of Creeping Death. I felt the inspiration for this, so I decided to go ahead and finish the story right now. I'm so thankful for the people who have enjoyed this story. Sadly, this will be the last in the series. No sequel is planned for this story. Enjoy, friends...

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><p><strong><em>Kairi's PoV:<em>**

I stood next to Namine with the Keyblade in my right hand. I was trying to lure Xiorgan to me with my newfound power. "Do you think this will work, Kai?" Namine said with fear in her voice. I knew she was afraid of what was coming. I was afraid as well. There was a big risk that I might die, but I also didn't care. I was afraid he would take Namine, the last friend I had. After Slenderman, I'd pulled away from Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Selphie for fear of their lives. Namine was truly my only friend now.

"I hope so," I said. "Sora's sacrifice won't be in vain! This was the second time he's died for me, and I fell horrible that I caused his death twice."

"You didn't cause it, Kairi," she said. "First time, it was Vanitas' fault. And this time, he died for you out of love. And I know you can beat Xiorgan, Kai. And don't forget, I love you like you were the sister I never had."

"I love you, Namine," I said.

Around that time, a portal opened at the end of the room, sulfurous gas and smoke pouring from it. Xiorgan's figure, in the long black coat, stepped from amidst the smoke with his hood up. "How touching," he said as he laughed. "Which one of you pretty, little ladies want to die first? I see you've taken one kill away from me, but that doesn't matter." His eyes scanned the room until he came to my right hand. "Impossible," he exclaimed. "That's…that's the…"

"Ultima Weapon, the Keyblade that can kill you!" I said with distaste, nearly vomiting when I said "Keyblade."

"That still doesn't matter," he said. "I'll still tear the flesh from your bones! Then, in Hell, I'll torment you for all eternity!" Xiorgan materialized his sword, not removing his hood, and charged toward me. I raised Ultima to block his attack and pushed Namine to the other side of the room. She yelped in pain a little when she hit the wall, but I was only trying to keep her from being killed in the crossfire.

He slashed at me, and I deflected his sword, charging a Firaga ball in my left hand. I unleashed it on his chest, and he was sent flying backward. Xiorgan regained his footing and reopened his portal, trying to make an escape.

"Oh, no you don't!" I screamed as I barreled toward him. "You're not getting away again, you coward!"

"Kairi, don't," Namine yelled, but her plea fell on deaf ears. I tackled Xiorgan and fell into the portal with him, plunging into the very depths of Hell!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Namine's PoV:<strong>_

I stood up and ran toward Kairi as she charged Xiorgan. "Kairi, don't!" I screamed as she fell into the portal with the demon. "Kairi, no…" I couldn't believe I'd just watched my only friend fall into Hell. The portal closed as I reached it. I swiped my hand through the smoke futilely. Despair found its way into my heart. "No…Kairi, please come back to me! Don't be gone forever."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Kairi's PoV:<em>**

I plummeted through the smoky air of Hell, losing track of Xiorgan for the moment. I looked down, seeing the lava-covered, rocky terrain below me. I used the blistering updraft to glide away from the river of lava that I was about to fall into. I rolled as I landed, scraping my skin on the rocks, but otherwise in one piece. I stood up to see five black, imp-like demons making their way toward me. "Ugh, I don't have time for this," I complained as I raised Ultima, scaring them away for the time being.

I ran through the barren landscape looking for Xiorgan. I ran for what seemed like hours, but eventually felt a presence. I'd felt the overwhelming presence of evil all over the place, but this was super-concentrated. "Come out, Xiorgan," I yelled.

"Impatient, are we, Miss Kairi?" he asked. "If you want to die so badly, then why don't you kill yourself? You're already in Hell; things couldn't possibly be any worse for you."

"I'm not the one who is going to die," I said. I raised Ultima and immediately went on the offensive. Xiorgan appeared, his burned face curled into a smile. I charged toward him and attempted to cut him in half. He dodged and struck me in the back with the pommel of his sword, sending a sharp pain throughout my whole body as I collapsed, my face barely missing a puddle of lava. I rolled just as he was about to stab me through my heart. I tried to kick his legs from underneath him, but he jumped, giving me time to get back on my feet and charge Blizzaga. I unleashed the ice blast on the demon, freezing his coat and left arm. He summoned Fire magic to thaw his arm and attacked me relentlessly. "Zantetsuken," I said as he charged toward me. I sliced at Xiorgan and his two halves fell to the ground, disappearing in shadows.

I collapsed to the ground in relief and exhaustion. "Finally…it's…over," I breathed as I closed my eyes, sweating from releasing so much energy and also because of my proximity to the Hellfire.

"Think again, pretty lady," a voice said into my ear. I quickly jumped as Xiorgan tried to slice me in half.

"No, I killed you!" I yelled over an erupting volcano's noise.

"You killed a shadow clone of me," he said, laughing at my assumption of his demise. "Did you really think it would be that easy to destroy me?"

"I didn't think it was that easy at all," I said, still exhausted, but I knew I had to fight for my life.

"I'm just getting started," he yelled as he teleported in front of me. I raised Ultima and our swords locked between our faces. A forked tongue snaked out of his mouth and licked my nose, causing me to recoil in disgust. I recovered just before he could stab me. I knocked his blade aside and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying backward. I hastily ran toward him, attempting to end him for good. As I reached him, however, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I looked down to see his sword had pierced my stomach and I was bleeding. I coughed blood onto his face. "If I'm dying, I'll take you with me!" I said as I charged a beam of light on my left index and middle fingers. I placed it at his chest and unloaded the powerful spell into his heart. Xiorgan screamed in pain as he and his sword disappeared. I collapsed, my wound bleeding even more. "Sorry, Namine, it looks like I won't be coming home after all," I whispered weakly as the life drained out of my body. I saw a bright light as my life came to an end, a familiar, spiky-haired man waiting for me with open arms.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Namine's PoV:<em>**

I waited for nearly fifteen minutes for Kairi to come back. I had the most awful feeling that something had gone horribly wrong. I felt so helpless because all I could do was sit and wait for her to return.

Suddenly, I saw a bright light in the corner of the room. Two figures stood in it dressed in white robes that reached the floor. I felt so much peace radiating from the portal, like all of Heaven was flowing out of it. I wondered if the two of them were angels. That is, until I saw their faces. "No, it can't be," I said as they walked toward me.

The woman had long, red hair and deep blue eyes. Her pale skin seemed to glow with the bright aura surrounding her. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. The man was more tanned and had spiky, brown hair. "I've come to say goodbye, Namine," she said.

"Kairi, what…"

"Don't worry, I killed Xiorgan," she said. "But he was too fast and killed me, too. I'll see you again someday, but I have to go away now. You were my best friend, Namine. I love you."

"Goodbye, Kairi," I said with tears streaming down my face. "I love you, too."

She walked over to me and somehow wiped the tears from my eyes. "Don't cry, Nami," she said. "I'll always be in your heart, and I'll see you in heaven again one day."

"Kairi, they're all waiting for us," Sora said.

"I'm coming, Sora," she said. "I have to go now, but don't worry. I'll be waiting for you."

They both disappeared into the portal of light and I was left alone in the house, with no friends, but a renewed hope that I would see them again. But still, my heart was broken over Kairi's death. That wound would never heal until I saw her and Riku again in the afterlife. I would just have to survive until then. I picked myself up and left the house, putting the events of the past few days behind me in an attempt to move forward with my life, which I knew would be no easy task.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So, what did you think? Now you see why I can't do anymore, because everyone is dead except Namine lol. Short chapter, I know, but I tried to make up for it with a long and action-packed fight scene. The song Hell by Disturbed from their new B-side album, The Lost Children, served as my primary inspiration for this chapter. Thank you all again for reading this story, and I'm so happy to have written this, no matter short it was. If you liked it, check out my other stories. Until next time, friends...<p> 


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